Just wondering how many of you have actual Restless Leg Syndrome. Do you find that it is exacerbated by training? Over-training?
I don’t think I have the actual syndrome, but if I don’t stretch my quads/hams/calves after a run, I’ve got the ancy legs when I try to go to bed that night. If I stretch for ten min it usually goes away.
RR
my husband has it–the “ants crawling” all over his legs. what makes it bad is if he is tired, really tired, but doesn’t go on to bed. then when he finally does, he’ll say “i have ants” and he will slap his legs on the bed, etc.
also, he gets it while sitting on the pot (TMI, i know).
so, if he is really tired i make him go on to bed, and that helps. he is active in his job, so i cannot speak to activity or not.
you mean “the jimmys” ?
I’ve always jiggled my legs…since I was young. Still doing it at 42. I always thought it was “nervous energy”.
The Jimmy Legs…
I seem to be more aware of it when my legs are fit and I am training more, but it may be an illoooosion
My wife says I keep her up all night twitching when I’m training harder.
I know that this is going to sound crazy and that it does not make any sense at all, but it works for many people and it has worked for me. I read in a doctor’s newspaper article to take a bar of soap and put it under the sheet under where your lower legs would be on the bed. I know what you are thinking!!! I am not sure if it is a mental thing or what, but the times I have used it, within a few minutes my legs stop being jittery and I go off to sleep.
I was diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome on November 8th. I found myself with this uncontrollable urge to kick republicans in the ass for losing the election. I found an equally uncontrollable urge to kick democrats in the ass for winning the election.
When i was 235# and smoking 2+ packs a day, yes, I had the ‘Jimmy’s’, so does my overweight aunt. Ever since changing my lifestyle ~ 6 or 7 years ago I haven’t had a single occurance.
Monk -
Common issue we see. Usually transient, but there are meds to treat if severe and you can’t sleep (besides sleeping pills that is). Google the drug “Requip” (among others). Or, there is that soap thing … 
More info than you can imagine about RLS
Rod…why does “the soap thing” work for some people? My aunt tried it and it worked for her. Is it the lye in soap? I still have a hard time believing it’s not just an old wive’s tale.
Dan
I used to wake up in the middle of the night with an uncontrollable urge to go for a run, a walk, a ride, anything just to get out of the house.
Of course it may have had less to do with over- or under-training, iron levels or vitamins, and more to do with the crazy bitch I was living with at the time.
I have no idea. Old wive’s tale rather than science. I have people swear that their wart went away rubbing a potato on it as well. What I always say is that “you can’t argue with success”. Same with people’s response to hypnotism or accupuncture - awesome if it works. Outcome is king, but reproducibility trumps all
Monk -
Common issue we see. Usually transient, but there are meds to treat if severe and you can’t sleep (besides sleeping pills that is). Google the drug “Requip” (among others). Or, there is that soap thing …
More info than you can imagine about RLS
Not severe–I had a sleep study done (during the height of IM training in '04–so probably not representative), and there was a whole collection of things that interfered with my sleep. One was RLS, and it just seems its a little more pronounced when I have been biking with a training goal as opposed to a maintenance orientation. I think the muscle soreness associated with the former exacerbates the response.
Monk - What the heck is restless leg syndrome? My last GF said that a few times I night I’d go for “a jog”…would that be it? I RARELY wake up at night or have problems sleeping.
A few night’s ago, I wore my HRM to bed (perhaps the 1st and only type A tri geek thing I’ve ever done) and it confirms something is going on every hour (insert random jokes here).
A republican “climate scientist”? I didn’t know you people existed.
funny, my BF and I were talking about this last spring… i was in a heavy training period for Wildflower / CDA and the RLS seemed to get more active. thing was when I was diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia two weeks later, i became aware of the connection. after taking iron for a few weeks, i have only had one bout since.
S